The Novell sponsored Opensuse project has released version 1.0 of its build service in a step that will make working on software packages for the distribution much easier for external developers.

Developers can create a branch of the official factory package, use the build service to create a version and hand in the results to the package's official maintainer. If the maintainer does not have time to consider the package, it does not become obsolete, but is referenced by future builds.

"This is the first time that external developers have been able to collaborate with us on the distribution by sending package changes to maintainers", says Suse employee Klaas Freitag, and Build Service architect, explaining the changes. To help support communications in this collaborative environment, the build service also has new submission and notification functions.

Just in time for the launch of openSUSE 11.1, Novell developers have completed the new Contrib-Repository. The Contrib will act as a bridge between factory (packages officially supported by Novell) and third party packages.

The openSUSE project and the Linux Foundation will be making the openSUSE Build Service available through the Linux Developer Network (LDN). Among other things, the Build Service will take advantage of the LDN's AppChecker.

Novell has announced its image building SUSE Studio to be ready for production and the Linux distributor has simultaneously started a partner-program aimed at software manufacturers who want to use SUSE Linux Enterprise as a base for software appliances.